High Pressure Foam Analyzer – HPFA – Krüss

Optimize Enhanced Oil Recovery with Advanced Foam Analysis

The HPFA High Pressure Foam Analyzer stands as the sole instrument globally capable of analyzing both the quantity and structure of liquid foams under elevated pressures. Uniquely designed for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications, this instrument offers a comprehensive suite of options to investigate foam behavior under authentic process conditions, including foam-assisted flooding and hydraulic fracturing scenarios.

Applications and Measuring Methods

From foam-assisted gas flooding to acting as a fracking liquid, the HPFA is adept at analyzing foam height and structure in high-pressure environments. It addresses the critical needs of EOR techniques and hydraulic fracturing, providing invaluable insights into maximum foam volume, liquid volume within foam, decay curves, and bubble size distribution, among many others.

Advanced Features for Comprehensive Analysis

Equipped with two high-resolution cameras operating simultaneously, the HPFA captures dynamic changes in foam height and lamellae structure during and after gas infusion. This capability, supported by real-time image evaluation via our ADVANCE software, offers an unparalleled view into foamability, stability, and decay patterns. The system’s compatibility with varying gas mediums and its ability to simulate real oil reservoir conditions make it a pivotal tool in the pursuit of optimizing EOR processes.

Enabling Detailed Foam Investigation

Aside from its primary functions, the HPFA facilitates additional dosing experiments to examine foam interactions with inhibiting phases, thereby enabling a deeper understanding of foam stability under diverse conditions. This aspect is particularly beneficial for fine-tuning foam properties to enhance oil recovery efficiency.

Technical Specifications

Software
  • Software type: ADVANCE
  • Software languages: Chinese (simplified), English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
  • Software modules: Foam analysis – high pressure (recommended)
Measurement specifications
  • Analyzed foam characteristic: foamability and foam stabilityfoam structure: homogeneity, stability and aging
  • Results: foam heightliquid heighttotal heightfoam capacity (additional flow sensor needed)maximum foam densityexpansion ratefoam half life timedrainage half life timesample temperaturegas temperaturepressuremean bubble areabubble count per mm²standard deviation of mean bubble areabubble size distributionbubble count half lifeSauter mean radiusfinal foam structure
Instrument dimensions
  • Footprint: 1100 mm × 640 mm (W × D)
  • Height: 1070 mm
  • Weight (without accessories): 190 kg
Environment
  • Operating temperature: 10 to 40 °C
  • Humidity: without condensation
Interfaces
  • PC: min. 1 × USB 3.0, recommended 2 × USB 3.0 and 1 × USB 2.0
Power supply
  • Voltage: 100 to 240 V
  • Power consumption: 30 W
  • Frequency: 50 to 60 Hz
Temperature control
  • Type of temperature control: electrical
  • Range of temperature control: room temperature up to 120 °C
Accessories
  • Filter plates for sparging: Diameter: 30 mm
  • Filter plate porosities: G2: nominal maximum pore size: 40 to 100 μm (recommended)G3: nominal maximum pore size: 16 to 40 μmG4: nominal maximum pore size: 10 to 16 μm
  • Material of columns and frits: borosilicate glass (norm: ISO 4793)
  • Material of sealings: PTFE with glass fibers (inner) and graphite (outer) for the windowsHNBR for the filter plates
Mini dosing system
  • Dosing: manual
  • Location: in the high-pressure cell (top/middle/bottom)
  • Temperature: maximum 180 °C
Temperature sensor
  • Sensor: 1 thermocouple
  • Location: in the high-pressure cell (top/middle/bottom)
Power supply for heating
  • Voltage: 115 to 230 V
  • Power consumption: 1880 W
  • Frequency: 50 to 60 Hz
Illumination
  • Types: LED
  • Wave length, dominant (height detection): 469 nm (blue)
  • Wave length, dominant (structure detection): 633 nm (red)
Pressure measurement
  • Maximum pressure: 350 bar (5000 psi) (with additional external syringe pump)
Structure camera
  • Performance: 2 fps at 1280 × 1024 px
  • Mean field of view: 25 × 13 mm²
  • Diameter of minimum detectable bubble: 150 μm
  • Focus: manual
Height camera
  • Performance: 5 fps at 1280 × 1024 px
  • Spatial resolution: 200 dpi | 0.12 mm/px
  • Mean field of view: 85 × 5.2 mm²
  • Focus: manual

FAQ - High Pressure Foam Analyzer – HPFA – Krüss

What applications is the HPFA High Pressure Foam Analyzer best suited for?

The HPFA is specifically designed for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications, including foam-assisted gas flooding and hydraulic fracturing. It allows for detailed analysis of foam height and structure under high-pressure conditions, aiding in the understanding and optimization of EOR techniques.

How does the HPFA measure and analyze foam?

Equipped with two high-resolution cameras, the HPFA captures the dynamic changes in both foam height and lamellae structure during gas infusion. Utilizing ADVANCE software for real-time image evaluation, it provides data on foamability, stability, and decay, including maximum foam volume, liquid volume within the foam, decay curves, bubble size distribution, and more.

What software is required to operate the HPFA, and what languages does it support?

The HPFA operates with the ADVANCE software, designed specifically for comprehensive foam analysis under high pressure. It supports multiple languages, including Chinese (simplified), English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

What are the key specifications of the HPFA?

The HPFA has a comprehensive range of specifications designed for in-depth foam analysis. This includes analyzing foamability, foam stability, and foam structure such as homogeneity, stability, aging, and more. Instrument dimensions are 1100mm x 640mm (WxD) with a height of 1070mm and weighing 190kg without accessories.

Can the HPFA simulate real oil reservoir conditions?

Yes, the HPFA is designed to simulate real oil reservoir conditions accurately. It achieves this with its ability to work with varying gas mediums, temperature control from room temperature up to 120 °C, pressure measurement up to 350 bar (5000 psi), and compatibility with different filter plate porosities for precision in foam analysis.

What types of dosing experiments can the HPFA facilitate?

The HPFA can conduct additional dosing experiments to investigate foam interactions with various inhibiting phases. This feature is crucial for understanding foam stability under diverse conditions and refining foam properties to maximize oil recovery efficiency. The mini dosing system features manual dosing and can be located in different parts of the high-pressure cell.

How is the HPFA equipped for detailed foam structure analysis?

For detailed foam structure analysis, the HPFA is equipped with a structure camera capable of 2 fps at a resolution of 1280 x 1024 px, and a height camera that operates at 5 fps with the same resolution. These cameras enable the analysis of bubble size distribution, mean bubble area, bubble count per mm², and more, with manual focus for precision.

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